What if Americans rose up and said, “Enough”! I believe we have more that unites us than divides us. That was the dream of Martin Luther King, Jr. He had a dream of justice achieved through peaceful means.

What if Americans chose to speak to each other, not at each other? What if we had serious and meaningful, and yes, difficult conversations about our problems? Not your problem or my problem, but our problems together as Americans.

What if Americans choose not to let news outlets or social media control their beliefs and thoughts? What if once again we could dream about an America that all people would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?

What if Americans choose to build their cities into sanctuaries of peace instead of burning anger of destruction? What could we achieve to address injustice, poverty, mental illness, and homelessness if we were united and not divided? 

We stand on a precipice. We face an hour of decision. What will we do? I am not talking to the politicians or the leaders of commerce. I am talking to you and me. I am talking to every American. Will we stand by and allow others to further divide us? Will we stand on the sidelines and wonder what happened? Or, will we jump in the game and become part of the solution? What can we do? What will we do?

1. We must believe in the power of one. Martin Luther King, Jr. changed the course of a country, not as a politician, but as a citizen with a dream and message. He was one person with a voice for justice and peace. We have more power than you think. We must become part of the answer through our involvement in schools, neighborhoods, non-profits, businesses, city halls, and every part of our communities. What is your passion? Where can you make a difference? Join where others have a similar passion. Volunteer at a school or non-profit. Get on a committee. Gather neighbors for fun and discussions (safely, of course). Become a foster parent. Attend city hall meetings. If we want peace, if we want unity, it means involvement. We can no longer isolate ourselves. We must be heard. Martin Luther King, Jr. began a peaceful movement that moved mountains. He was one voice that united millions.

1. We must build bridges, not walls. We must be intentional. To do nothing only allows the rift to grow and further divide us. There are forces at work that wish to divide us. We have the power to unite, to change, to move forward toward a dream of equality, justice, and peace. We build bridges when we reach out a hand, not clinch a fist. Bridges are built from both sides and met in the middle. Bridges can be of all shapes and sizes. The goal of every bridge is to bear the weight of traffic. When we build the bridge, we together create the structure to bear the weight of the problems facing our communities and nation. Let’s build bridges, not tear them down.

3. We must, we must talk together. We must respect each other while not agreeing with each other. When people across the world with opposing ideologies sat down and spent a day talking to each other rather than about each other, a wonderful thing happened. People become people, not an enemy. They discovered shared experiences and celebrated their humanity. They realized peace comes one relationship at a time. And there it is. A relationship that can tear down walls and build bridges.

4. Join the PeaceWave. If you want to create more peace for you and those around you, check out my website – www.doctor-peace.com and become part of my Facebook Group. Let’s create a community of those who are creating peace!

We are far more like each other than different. There is far more that unites us than divides us. When we reach high enough, we find the things that will unite us, not divide us. We can find a common dream. A dream of a peaceful America, a safe America, a just America, a prosperous America, and a compassionate America. Let us all become dreamers!